Posted on 03/04/2016 4:09:28 AM PST by elhombrelibre
Donald Trump had by far his worst debate of the 2016 campaign on Thursday. He was defensive and vulgar, evasive and condescending, rude and imperious. He moved drastically to the center on immigration, repudiating his position on H-1B visas on stage and saying “everything is negotiable,” including the border wall and the fate of illegal immigrants already in the United States. He defended his calls for expansive torture and the killing of civilians related to terrorists, saying the military “will do what I tell them” even if his orders contradict the law. He dismissed his opponents as “little Marco” and “lying Ted” and bragged about his manhood. Over two hours he provided reams and reams of material for Hillary Clinton’s ad writers. And through it all he was cheered by a raucous and heckling audience that seemed to have been transported straight from the courtroom scene in “Encounter at Farpoint.”
The spectacle made me ill. On screen I watched decades of work by conservative institutions, activists, and elected officials being lit aflame not only by the New York demagogue but by his enablers who waited until the last possible moment to criticize and try to stop him. And even then it may be too late.
I sometimes wonder whether Trump chose to run as a Republican because he identified the GOP as the weaker of the two parties. His politics line up favorably with Democrats, and he has supported Democrats in the past. But the Republicans had been so buffeted by 20 years of inattention to the costs of globalization, by the growing estrangement of traditional constituencies who have lost status and resources in the twenty-first century, by the mistakes and narrow-mindedness of the party elite, that clearly the party of Lincoln was the easier mark. Trump called the bluff of the Beltway establishment. He proved that the ghost of Jack Kemp doesn’t move the party base. The ghost of Nixon does.
There was no winner at the debate, but there was certainly a loser: The GOP. It started this election cycle in a strong position, and is now on the precipice of nominating a political neophyte, a caricature of everything liberals hate about Republicans, whose unfavorable ratings are sky-high and who loses to Hillary Clinton in practically every poll. The best hope of the anti-Trump forces is to somehow prevent him from winning the number of delegates necessary to secure the nomination outright, and deliver the nomination to someone else at the party’s convention. I’m skeptical. It’s a last-ditch attempt, and if the party wants to nominate Trump, that’s its choice. But in doing so it would crown as the heir to Lincoln and TR and Eisenhower and Reagan a man who every day finds new ways to polarize, repel, infuriate, exhaust, shock, and horrify.
Which of Trumps H1B visa positions do you support? The one from yesterday afternoon, or the one from yesterday night?
why yes I am.
Did or did not tRump flip his stance on HIB visas last night?
Did he not say everything is negotiable last night?
So how can you believe he would build a wall even 2 feet high or deport 10 Illegals?
He Claimed at one point in the debate he was very pro 2nd Amendment but he has in the past supported the AWB.
Will he “neogotiate” over “common sense gun control laws” that harry reid, Nancy Pelosi and Bloomberg push?
Remember VAN he said, EVERYTHING is negotiable. His words, not mine or anyone else’s.
Whether for or against, your post was funny. I’m for Trump, BTW. To my mind, invoking Jesus or Christianity as a matter of credentials without consideration of the full range of other factors is just plain sanctimonious.
A standard tRump fan answer that question is, 'Yes'!
Trump: "Note to self, change the website when I get home."
And scrub the twitter posts...
“Whether for or against, your post was funny.”
Thanks, that’s all I was trying for.
You could read the Bible
Is that what Heidi Faye was doing at Goldman? Why won’t Crtuz release the schedules to his tax returns? Afraid we’ll see how many millions sleazy Goldman has been shoveling into the Cruz Family?
How does a Trump supporter attack anyone over the $ issue? This guy has been so corrupt throughout his life that it’s a wonder he’s not in jail. What about Trump University? How many diplomas were issued there? LOL.
Trump sold real estate seminars? Oh the humanity.
Here comes the big pivot Trumpkins. The wall is next.
False. What’s coming now is the Cruz Campaign death rattle. Can’t say I’m sorry to see it.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/3404966/posts?page=71#71
Still with the orange skin jokes?
I agree and the same for me, but my point was that Cruz was not immaculately squeaky clean from that behavior either.
I predict you will not get one reply to this from a Cruzer. Trump now has the most clear, Pro-American H-1B position of ANY candidate in the race. Just like Romney the Cruzers know they are lying about Trump and they simply don’t care. They intend to lie over and over and hope it sticks. Birds of a feather...
Which of Trumps H1B visa positions do you support? The one from yesterday afternoon, or the one from yesterday night?
The problem is that Trump was right - he could shoot a man on TV, and his supporters would applaud. His position last night on immigration was pretty close to Jeb Bush’s, but his supporters don’t care. They follow Donald Trump and they don’t care WHAT he believes...which may make an odd sort of sense, because what he believes changes by the hour.
“I think Trump will get the same respect from the Military as W had!”
I’m just a military brat who spent 25 years active duty, and whose two oldest kids did tours, along with my SIL and the husbands of both nieces...but FWIW, I think you are wrong. I despise Trump, although I despise Hillary more. But not by a whole lot. Not after last night.
Hillary is demon-possessed (or she does a great imitation of it) and Trump is a fruitcake. God is judging America, and giving us what our sins deserve.
Trump is very clear ON H-1B. His position is in post 71.
Which Cruz H-1B position Do you support? The 500% increase position he held for two years or the ME TOO DONALD suspend and investigate H-1B position? Lyin’ Ted and his lyin’ supporters. Two peas in a pod.
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